Microsoft developing Siri-like personal assistant for Windows Phone, dubs it ‘Cortana’

Microsoft is testing and preparing a Windows Phone 8.1 update that will supposedly have a personal assistant with Siri-like features. It has been codenamed “Cortana” after the Halo character and will help Windows Phone users interact with their smartphones using voice commands. There is already a basic voice command feature for Windows Phone but Cortana is expected to have a system that will learn user’s preferences and adapt accordingly.

Based on additional screenshots obtained by The Verge, Microsoft is testing the feature’s ability to pull in weather info, notifications, and events into a central interface. Other features seen on the interface include location information and access to Bluetooth controls. It is expected that Microsoft will roll out the new operating system update in early 2014.

Model Behavior: iPhone 5s to capture Burberry's runway show

With its 10 shots per second burst mode capability, slow motion video at 720p and that new M7 co-processor assisting auto-image stabilization, the latest iPhone flagship looks like it's headed for a big time shoot.

Apple and Burberry today announced that iPhone 5s is being used to capture and share beautiful photos and video before, during and after the Burberry runway show in London on Monday, September 16. Using the all-new iSight camera on iPhone 5s, Burberry is shooting high quality photos and video for runway and beauty looks, product details, and backstage moments. The collaboration is reimagining how Burberry engages consumers, paving the way for significant changes in how they capture and share their content.

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Sony heads for the heart of the home with Xperia Tablet Z: Kitchen Edition

Looks like Sony’s coming after a specific niche with its new Xperia Tablet Z: Kitchen Edition. This US$649 cooking mate is a water-resistant 10.1-inch tablet with a wireless cooking thermometer, tablet stand, and a slew of exclusive content.

The Xperia Tablet Z is made with durable glass and carbon fiber-reinforced back panel making it easy to clean if you get spaghetti sauce on it or something. It can be submerged under fresh water with covers and ports closed for up to 3 feet in under 30 minutes. It uses Mobile Bravia Engine 2 for its display and runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The 32GB tablet (expansion options via microSD slot) also comes with accessories like iGrill, an app-enabled Bluetooth meat thermometer that can monitor food up to 200 feet away; lightweight, foldable stand; and pre-loaded food and cooking apps, such as Evernote Food, BigOVen, Food Planner Pro, etc.

Google+ for Chrome gets Snapseed photo-editing tools

Google integrated Snapseed into Google+’s mobile apps for a while already. Now, Google’s bringing Snapseed’s features into the desktop Chrome browser with new tools like Auto Enhance, selective adjust editing, filters and frames. Google has slowly started rolling out the new options that can be accessed by clicking the “edit” link of a selected photo.

If you aren’t using Chrome, you’re going to have to make do with basic crop and rotate editing tools.